Can the jury trust Trump’s former fixer?

May 13, 2024

Michael Cohen is questioned by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger in Manhattan state court on May 13, 2024, in this courtroom sketch.

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Disgraced attorney Michael Cohen testified for over four hours on Monday about his role in former President Donald Trump’s efforts to control negative stories about him during the 2016 election, including paying off former adult actresses Trump allegedly slept with.

Prosecutors sought to establish how Trump controlled his image (allegedly through payoffs and pressure tactics) and what motivated Cohen to participate so enthusiastically (praise from Trump). He testified that he used his relationship with David Pecker, former CEO of American Media Inc., to buy the life rights to stories that could be damaging to Trump’s campaign, and funnel money through shell corporations to create distance.

Cohen, who served three years in prison for federal crimes including campaign finance violations related to hush-money deals for Trump, was clear that the former president’s interest in killing these stories had little to do with concerns for his marriage. “He wasn't even thinking about [former First Lady Melania Trump], this was all about the campaign," Cohen testified.

The former president’s attorneys will have their turn with Cohen next, and based on their strategy with other witnesses, they’re likely to try to paint Cohen as a known liar. We’ll be watching how he handles cross-examination – and whether Trump sounds off against Cohen on social.

25 or 50? Jobs report likely to influence magnitude of Fed’s rate cut

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies during a U.S. House Oversight and Reform Select Subcommittee hearing on coronavirus crisis, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2021.

Graeme Jennings/Pool via REUTERS

Uncertainty will be high as the markets open today. Selloffs in the US market this week have raised recession fears while investors await the release of Friday’s US jobs report.

Can the jury trust Trump’s former fixer?

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

Three ways to look at Brazil’s fight with Elon Musk

What on Earth is going on in Brazil? The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is locked in a high-profile, increasingly nasty clash with Latin America’s largest economy, which has recently banned Musk’s X platform.

HARD NUMBERS: Ugandan runner killed in arson attack, How climate change wrecks education, King of Bahrain goes on a pardoning spree, Germany’s jobless rate rises, US indicts Russians for a careless “Whisper,” Father of suspect in Georgia school shooting arrested

What is the Philadelphi corridor, and why is Bibi so fixated on it?

Here’s a breakdown of the corridor’s significance and the implications of Netanyahu’s stance.

Honduras rocked by presidential drug scandal

Honduran President Xiomara Castro faced calls to resign on Wednesday after journalists released a video of her brother-in-law negotiating payoffs with convicted drug traffickers.

Blinken heads to Haiti as Kenyan force faces time crunch

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Haiti for the first time on Thursday, underscoring American support for the struggling Caribbean government and the Kenyan-led security mission meant to stabilize the country.

GZEROMEDIA

Hunter Biden changes plea to guilty

Just as jury selection was about to start for his federal tax evasion trial, Hunter Bidenhas offered to plead guilty in a last-ditch effort to avoid a costly and potentially damning public trial.

25 or 50? Jobs report likely to influence magnitude of Fed’s rate cut

Uncertainty will be high as the markets open today. Selloffs in the US market this week have raised recession fears while investors await the release of Friday’s US jobs report.

You vs. the News: GZERO's Weekly News Quiz, Sept. 6, 2024

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

France’s new PM: Barnier gets the job, but Le Pen holds the cards

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has tapped a political veteran and experienced policymaker to take on the increasingly tough job of prime minister.

LNG strengthens energy security and cuts emissions

Can the jury trust Trump’s former fixer?

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

What on Earth is going on in Brazil? The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is locked in a high-profile, increasingly nasty clash with Latin America’s largest economy, which has recently banned Musk’s X platform.

Here’s a breakdown of the corridor’s significance and the implications of Netanyahu’s stance.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro faced calls to resign on Wednesday after journalists released a video of her brother-in-law negotiating payoffs with convicted drug traffickers.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Haiti for the first time on Thursday, underscoring American support for the struggling Caribbean government and the Kenyan-led security mission meant to stabilize the country.

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

Just as jury selection was about to start for his federal tax evasion trial, Hunter Bidenhas offered to plead guilty in a last-ditch effort to avoid a costly and potentially damning public trial.

Uncertainty will be high as the markets open today. Selloffs in the US market this week have raised recession fears while investors await the release of Friday’s US jobs report.

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has tapped a political veteran and experienced policymaker to take on the increasingly tough job of prime minister.